First State Bow Season for Moose

October 9, 2011

By

Jenn Hanlon

Aaron Lumbra (right) and Mark Bechard with the 530-pound cow moose they brought down in Northern Essex County. Photo by Jenn Hanlon

BRIGHTON - Aaron Lumbra of Georgia, VT and his hunting partner Mark Bechard of Swanton took down a 530 pound cow moose estimated to be about three years old last Tuesday afternoon about 2:45 p.m.
"It was 9 p.m. before we got back to camp in Averill with it and cracked open our first celebration beer," said Aaron. The men had been hunting in E1 (Northern Essex County) area since Saturday and said hunting in the rain for three days was tough.
"It was difficult to spot any sign of them really and the tree stands weren't effective, so we walked a lot and found many spots where the moose had bed down."
Lumbra added that hunting moose with a bow is "very up close and personal" and said that when he dressed the moose out he had found the arrow had gone almost clear through the animal and was broken in half.
Early Wednesday morning, the hunters stopped for breakfast at Hobo's Restaurant in Island Pond, then travelled a couple miles west on VT105 to Northern Wildlife Taxidermy owned by Walt Driscoll, who is also a state registered check-in and weigh in station.
Driscoll said it was the first moose he had checked in so far, however he had heard about four other moose that had been taken from around the area.
Driscoll said that during the regular moose season the state will have their normal check in stations up and running. This is the first year the state has had a bow season for moose, which runs through the first seven days of October and ended on Saturday.
The second season begins the third Saturday in October (October 15) and is open for six days. Animals of either sex may be taken during both seasons. A total of 50 permits to hunt and take moose by the use of bows only were authorized for the archery moose season, while a separate lottery process randomly picked 455 winners among more than 12,600 lottery applications.
State Wildlife Biologist Cedric Alexander is quoted on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website: â€śVermontâ€™s first moose hunt was in 1993, when 25 moose were taken with 30 permits issued. We expect about 250 moose will be taken this fall in a carefully regulated hunt.â€ť